As usual, Hermione was completely correct in her assumption.

On the way up the stairs, the not-so-cheerful group of five met up with an even less cheerful group of two.

Strutting up that stairs in all her Indian glory was Parvati Patil and her ditzy blonde friend, Lavender Brown. Parvati smiled at Blaise happily but, as though she hadn't noticed his company as he was walking along the hall, glared at those standing around him, finally letting her gaze fall upon Hermione, making a tutting sound, just audible.

Lavender stood by her side, her hands on her hips and glaring at them in the same manner but her gaze instead, fell upon Ron who blushed furiously when he saw where she was looking. She winked at him suggestively and licked her upper lip. Hermione felt a strong urge to laugh but suppressed it, wondering if the girl could possibly be any more obvious.

"Blaise," Parvati said finally in a voice reeking with false cheerfulness. Still glaring daggers at Hermione, she continued, "what are you doing, dear? I thought we were going to meet for lunch."

Hermione felt anger welling up inside of her. How could this girl be so possessive of someone that she was forced to marry? Shouldn't she be upset that she didn't get a choice in the matter?

Blaise scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Well, it's only 10:00 and I'm busy right now so--," Blaise tried.

"So what? You thought that you'd try to avoid me by hanging put with them," Parvati said nastily, running her eyes once again over Harry, Ron, and Hermione disapprovingly.

"They," he said in a voice of forced calm, "are my friends."

At this Ron coughed very loudly and Harry was forced to kick him which made him yowl even louder. Draco, Hermione saw, was standing back from the group completely, looking uninterested. She was sure, if there had been a furniture of a sort, he would have sprawled upon it lazily, looking at the bickering group in nonchalant contempt.

Parvati made a hissing sound in the back of her throat.

"Well, then I suppose your friends won't mind if I accompany you on your little walk," she said, all the falsity in voice vanishing in an instant and replaced instead by malice so deep that Hermione could almost taste it.

Hermione sighed deeply.

"By all means, Parvati, accompany us. It's not like you'll see much of Blaise any other time."

Parvati's nostrils flared and Lavender looked away from Ron long enough to give her a scowl.

"You should hold your tongue, Mudblood," Parvati spat.

"Save it for the Slytherins," Hermione spat back.

"See," Parvati said, looking around to Draco and Blaise. "She thinks so much of you that all she can associate you with is insults!"

"She has a right to do so," said Harry, whose eyes had burst to flame when Parvati had insulted Hermione's blood line. "Since when does a Gryffindor stand up for scum like that," Harry nodded his head toward Draco.

"Since," said Parvati, her voice becoming shrill "I got engaged to 'scum like that'." She held out her hand tantalizingly, giving them all a clear view of the large diamond upon her finger, shining it in the light pouring through the window and reflecting the luminescence onto Hermione's furious face.

"Potter," Draco said suddenly from behind them. Harry turned. "Whose side are you bloody on?"

"Not yours," said Harry simply.

Draco shook his head in disbelief.

Hermione shut her eyes, trying to keep the light of the very large engagement ring out of her eyes. When she couldn't stand it any more, she pounced.

Parvati was never expecting it.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Hermione was on top of Parvati, punching every bit of her that she could reach. Soon however, Ron and Blaise were able to drag her off, which was no easy feat considering that Hermione's hair was firmly clamped inside of one of Parvati's hands.

As soon as Hermione had settled down (well, as settled down as she could be within the confines of Blaise's arms, the only thing stopping her from pummeling the girl in front of her), Lavender went to see if Parvati was all right and Harry, Hermione.

Hermione eventually shoed them all off and turned to the two girls in front of her, all four boys behind her ready to grab her in case she lost control again.

"You know what Parvati, girls like you aren't even worth fighting with. You'll always be the same; only caring about your bloody hair and makeup, always checking over your shoulder to see which guy saw you flip your hair. If you weren't a whore, I'd have the decency to call you pathetic," Hermione growled.

Lavender gasped and Ron, Harry, and Blaise all looked at Hermione with the same shock. Draco, however was looking quite impressed.

When Parvati finally came out of her shock, she began "Why you little-- ," but was unable to finish because an owl had just flown onto Hermione's shoulder through the open window. Hermione looked at it, slightly surprised. When she realized that it was not that unusual to have an owl fly through the window of a magical school, Hermione finally untied the envelope from the tawny's leg.

Saved by the owl, Hermione couldn't help herself from thinking.

All eyes were on her as she opened the letter and the owl took flight again through the same window. As she scanned the sheet, her eyes became wide.

"Who's it from," Harry asked from behind her, making her jump a little.

"M--my parents."

Hermione was now sitting in the Head Common Room, glaring furiously at the letter before her while Harry, Ron, and Draco sat in an uncomfortable silence. Hermione had reluctantly agreed for Blaise to stay behind and sort out Parvati and Lavender.

All having read the letter, no one was sure what to say. Hermione didn't know how her parents could have known about what had been happening over the past few weeks. Perhaps Dumbledore had seen her strange behavior and alerted them or perhaps they were spying on her. Either way, she was furious. Why didn't people like bloody Parvati get in trouble for being unruly? This was the first time in Hermione's life that she had ever acted uncharacteristic of the Head Girl that she was and she was getting scolded like she had just joined The United Prostitutes of Britain! She did understand her parents concern but she was seventeen! Didn't they think that she could take care of herself?

Hermione knew that neither Draco, Harry, or Ron (well, that was debatable)'s parents were this overprotective so she understood when none of them could really relate to her situation.

After what seemed like hours, Draco finally broke the silence.

"So," he said "weren't we supposed to be coming up here to continue our fight?"

"Hu," Hermione stated. "Oh yeah. Um...what exactly was it that we were fighting about?"

"Good question," Ron said.

"Are you all bonkers," Harry said suddenly. "How could you forget that what Malfoy and Zabini did to you so quickly, Hermione?"

"Oh. That," she said, suppressing a sigh.

"Oh, that? Is that all you have to say after--," Harry started but Draco cut him off.

"There's nothing left to say, Potter. What happened happened. We apologized--"

"Correction, Blaise apologized. Last I remember, you didn't. Not that I expected you to or anything."

"Fine, Granger. I'm sorry," Draco said. And for once, there wasn't a sarcastic back tone to his voice.

She looked up into his brilliantly silver eyes, always so cold and unfeeling, they now seemed to regretful and sincere. They no longer hid the emotions that Draco had spent all his life trying to cover up and it startled Hermione when she realized that all of the pent up sincerity behind his eyes was directed at her.

"Don't tell me you're going to forgive him just like that, Hermione," Harry said. "He hurt you just like he always does and he's going to get away with it just like he always does. It's bloody unfair that he can do and say all of these hurtful things to you for six years and you're going to forgive him! I know you, Hermione. I know how you can't help but be nice to people but he doesn't deserve this even if he was sorry, which I'm sure he's not."

"You're so typical, Potter. You trust everyone around you and they end up turning on you yet when someone really is sincere, you throw it in their face," Malfoy said, his eyes now clouded and unsure of what they wanted to say once again.

"Harry, you're right," Hermione said.

"He is," Draco asked uncertainly.

"Yes, he is," said Hermione. "Draco, I know that you are telling the truth about being sorry but that still doesn't make everything okay. You bent human will. That's just completely unforgivable. You can't just make it go away with a word. You have to prove it to me. And before you say something I just want to say that I know you don't have to. For most of my time here at Hogwarts, we've always been so different, always shouting pointless insults at one another that never solve anything. But just this once, I want to forget all that's happened and try to start over. Just know that I am being very lenient after what you and Blaise did. Know that the only reason I'm giving you a second chance is because of the reason you did it."

At this, Draco looked unashamedly guilty.

"But, if you don't want to," Hermione continued, "we can just go back to being enemies and this whole arousal spell thing will just be another bump in our road to perdition."

"No," Draco said immediately. "I want to prove to you that I'm sorry. We're in our last year and I don't want to leave knowing that I made your life miserable. I want to prove it," he said again.

Hermione smiled. "That means a lot to me."

Ron, obviously sensing the tension between the two said "Harry, come on, let's give them some privacy."

"No," Harry shouted. "I won't let you give up your life, Hermione. He's just going to hurt you again, like he always does!"

"If he hurts me, I will learn from my mistakes and never have anything to do with him or Blaise ever again. But until then, I'm giving them a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, Harry," Hermione said, quietly blushing.

"A sec-- Hermione, these guys are on their eightieth chance! We're your friends, we know what's best for you," Harry continued.

"Harry, last time I checked, you're the only one that seems to have a problem with this," Hermione said.

"She's right Harry," Ron announced. "If she wants to give Malfoy a second chance, let her. We are her friends but we have to draw the line with our control over what she does somewhere. She's a smart witch, Harry and I trust her."

Hermione smiled warmly at Ron.

"Even if it is Malfoy," Ron added.

Hermione sighed once again.

"All right you guys, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak alone with Mal--Draco. We have prefect schedules to arrange," she said with finality.

Ron got up from his chair but Harry remained planted.

"Come on, Harry," Ron practically pleaded. "I think we've overstayed our welcome."

Harry reluctantly got up and looked from Hermione to Ron as though they were both mad.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Hermione," Harry said darkly. Realizing his tone, he quickly added "and if something happens, just know that Gryffindor tower is always open to you."

"I'll be fine, Harry," she reassured as they finally got up from their seats and made their way to the door.

As soon as the soft sound of the portrait whole closing behind Harry and Ron could be heard, Hermione found herself blushing in a room alone with the boy that could so easily turn her into water with a single look. But, to Hermione's surprise, Draco did not look at her with that knowing expression she had already so unwillingly resigned herself to; he just sat there, looking just as uncomfortable as she if not more.

Finally, seeming to come to himself in the fact 'Malfoy's don't blush', he looked up at her uncertainly from across the coffee table that separated them and said "What happens now?"

It was barely a whisper but Hermone heard it clearly. She also heard the same scared little boy that Blaise had told her of, earlier that day, in his tone.

Hermione looked at him, trying again to decipher what all that clouded mist of gray and silver in this boy's eyes really meant.

Hearing the sheer poetic-ness of this statement in her head, Hermione thought, Wow. Maybe girls really are to analytical.

"From this moment on, there are going to be some rules," she said firmly. She saw his shocked look at her quiet statement that seemed an outburst from the soft tone of his words and their stares only a moment ago and continued in the same demanding demeanor. "If you want to prove to me that you are truly sorry for your actions as of last night and all of the other cases in which you have rendered me speechless from the sheer rudeness of you intentions, then you will have to abide by the following: you can no longer call me the 'M' word, you must use proper manners when addressing me; no vulgarity or obscenities can be derived from any word that come out of your mouth, you can no longer patronize my friends, or any of the Gryffindors for that matter, and finally, no conspiring with Blaise or any other accomplice of how to 'get me into bed' or seduce me in any other way."

When Hermione finished, she blushed even more than before. She had not expected to blurt out the list of formal rules that she had drawn out years ago just incase Malfoy or any of her other enemies had ever decided to apologize to her. It seems that Draco had not expected it either. The look of confusion and shock on his normally arrogant and haughty face was absolutely priceless.

Still looking a bit taken and now, with a smirk firmly planted on his thin lips, he said "What, no opening doors and curtseying?"

Hermione smiled evilly.

"I would have thought that part would have been obvious."

Draco laughed. Of course, Hermione had heard him laugh before over at the other end of the Great Hall but she had never been subject to it. Well, subject to a happy laugh anyway. She had been subject to his taunting laugh time and again. Disregarding this, she stood and walked over to where Draco was sitting on the forest green couch.

"You can start," she said, sitting down next to him "by agreeing to be my friend."

Draco stopped laughing. He looked at her and Hermione realized with a feeling of dread, how very close they were.

"Hermione, before I start proving myself to you, can I do something? Just one last thing that I wouldn't be able to do under the terms and conditions," Draco asked politely.

"Erm... All right, I suppose one last thing couldn't hurt," she said tentatively.

Draco smiled triumphantly.

Seeing this, Hermione added quickly "unless it is offensive or hateful."

"Don't worry," Draco said, "I don't think you'll find it that way," as he bent down and kissed her on the mouth.

All the halls of Hogwarts were filled with happy students, wandering from place to place, happy for the weekend and the comforting walls that the castle provided against the raging blizzard outside. It was a bit early for snow in November, a complete opposite of the moods of the children, so eager to lay out upon the sunny grass for the last bit of fall. But for one Harry Potter, the weather was just right. The ice that could be seen is his eyes as he walked along the corridors leading back up to Gryffindor tower was radiating so heavily that all who crossed his path seem to be blasted by the subzero hatred, making their friends wonder if perhaps the harsh weather had had ill effect.

"I don't get why you're not as worried about this as I am," Harry said, practically stomping along the stairway.

"I am worried about her, mate. I just think it's time she makes her own decisions. She's seventeen years old and she's never had a boyfriend. I think it's time she stops reading about life and starts experiencing it," Ron replied, purposefully avoiding Harry's line of vision.

"Oh and this coming from the one who didn't want her dating Victor Krum just because I was against him in the Triwizard Tournament. And now she's with the one guy that you should be worried about and you pass off on it like it's no big deal!"

"Harry, when I didn't want Hermione to date Victor, I was a child. A child with stupid feelings that I knew would never be returned. I grew up. I think it's time you did as well," Ron said in a manner very unlike his own.

"Grow up? You're asking me to grow up when I've been through more than any of you? Why should I be punished for caring about my friend," Harry yelled, the hurt that he felt from Ron's statement evident in his tone.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean it that way. All I'm saying is that Hermione deserves a bit of freedom. She's smart--," Ron tried.

"Not about things like this! She's never had to deal with anything like this," Harry interrupted.

"Everyone's got to start somewhere, don't they? It's not like we knew anything about love when we first got into relationships, is it," Ron said.

Harry paused in his stampeded up the stairs and turned to face Ron.

"You think she's in love," he said quietly.

"I don't know," Ron said in the same whisper. "but if she is, we should be happy for her."

"You don't get it, Ron," Harry said, having turned around and storming back up where he had started. "Malfoy is a Death Eater! Aren't you one bit worried that his motives are something more than love? And even if he weren't, he'd only be trying to be with her to get in her god damn pants," he said, scaring a few first years with his choice of words.

"But didn't you see the way she was looking at him? I think he really has changed Harry and I think Hermione knows more about that than she's letting on. She wouldn't have forgiven him if nothing had happened between them," Ron said.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Harry snarled as they reached the portrait hole and climbed into the familiar dormitory.

"You know, I don't think Malfoy's the only one who's changed," Ron said, causing Harry to turn around once again.

"What do you mean," he asked accusingly.

"Well, it's just that ever since that 'thing' happened with you and Hermione, you seemed to be acting differently. One night you were telling me what I'm telling you now and now you're acting as though you're life's mission is to protect Hermione," Ron said slowly, hoping not to push Harry to the boiling point once again.

"This conversation is going nowhere, Ron. I'm going to bed."

"At ten the morning," Ron asked but the door to their dormitories had already been slammed shut.

Hermione was in shock and the kiss to chaste for her to have enjoyed it. She knew that she should have expected something like this from him and found herself more shocked by the fact that he hadn't ravished her mouth than the fact that he actually kissed her.

"We can't have any more of that," Hermione said, still a bit flustered.

"I know," Draco said, looking at her mischievously. "That's why I did it before we started to be friends.

Hermione blushed. "As for this being friends business, you do realize that people aren't going to understand. Hell, I don't even understand. I know you apologized but forgive me if becoming friends with my life-long enemy doesn't seem a bit surreal."

"Well, Hermione, some things just happen like that. Suddenly and permanently," Draco said with what sounded like a personal sorrow. It made Hermione wonder whether or not Draco really had taken the Dark Mark.

"Yes well, either way, I'm happy it has happened," she said, smiling.

"As am I," he said, looking at her as though she made him happier than anything else could which in turn really did make her happier than she had ever felt.

Without thinking about what she was doing, Hermione leaned in to kiss him. however, just as their lips were about to meet, a bell rang off in the distance and she snapped out of the moment. Wondering if perhaps it was possible for life to go on hold for an hour or so, she reluctantly said "We had better head down to lunch. I need to clear my head a bit. I'll see you after then, all right?"

"Yeah all right," Draco said, not bothering to hide his disappointment as he gathered himself off of the couch. "You promise to come right back here after lunch," he said.

Hermione smiled again, realizing that she had smiled more today than she had in a very long time. "Yes, I promise. But, don't think that this whole friends thing gets you off of your duties."

Draco looked confused for a minute but then looked at where he was standing and hung his head as he curtsied her out the door.

Lunch was an interesting affair to say the least. Hermione sat with Ron and Harry decided to brush off both of them as he sat at the other end with a bunch of pleased looking fourth years who Hermione could tell had never been in Harry's presence. That combined with Draco on the other side of the hall, winking at her at every given opportunity and Blaise and Parvati not there was enough to make Hermione a giant ball of nerves, waiting to go off at any second.

Trying to calm herself a bit, Hermione said to Ron "So it looks like he's mad at the both of us. What was it that you did?"

"Tried to stop him from going back after you," Ron said, digging into his shepherd's pie and not really paying attention to much else.

"Thanks for that," Hermione said gratefully.

"No problem," Ron said, looking up long enough to give her a smile with a mouth full of potato.

As the plates magically began to clean themselves and the students began getting up, Dumbledore stood from his seat and cleared his throat, leaving all those who had gotten up, plant their butts firmly back in their seats.

"I'm sure that your parents would not wish me to tell you this but I think it is all of our best interests that I say it. "A threat has been placed over our school," gasps were heard all around the hall and Hermione thought that she was wrong in thinking that this lunch could get any worse.

"As you all know, we are in a war. No matter what side of that war you choose to be on," he said, directing his gaze to the Slytherin table, "I want you all to be safe. If we are not able to find a way to stop these attacks from happening, I'm afraid that I will have no choice but to close the school."

The room was silent. Hermione saw that a girl at the Hufflepuff table actually had tears streaming down her face.

What if I never see them again, Hermione thought, not referring to Ron and Harry who she could see when she pleased but to Draco and Blaise.

"However, in light of these dark times, I have devised a method of cheering everyone up. As a last sentiment in the case that the school is closed, I have made arrangements for a costume ball to be held tomorrow evening for the entire school. and because of the fact that this school's purpose is to educate it's beloved students and that we hope to do that no matter who tries to break our morale, the ball will be held in the library," Dumbledore finished, smiling ay his students as though expecting them to look overjoyed at this.

As the students finally gathered up their things and made for the door, Harry came up to Hermione from behind and said in a voice of forced calm "you've still got your coin from the D.A., right?"

Startled, she said "Yes, I've still got it."

"Good. Check it regularly. We're back in business," Harry said as he headed past her and began heading on a route Hermione knew led to the Room of Requirement.

As Ron caught up with her, Hermione was beginning to feel as though her life had reached a standstill. The war was coming. She knew it would but it was so soon. Not even halfway through the year. For some reason, she had it set in her mind that the war would occur right at the end of the year and when it was over, she would go back home and everything would be normal. That perception had just been shattered with a contemptuous hand and there was no going back.

"What did he say to you," Ron asked.

"He said that he was starting up the D.A. again. Personally, I think it's a very good idea. Far from teaching people how to fight, I think it will make the fact that we're really going to face this very real to a lot of people," she said.

"You're right, it is a good idea. I hope he's all right to lead it though. He's been acting very oddly lately," he said.

"Don't worry. When it comes to Voldemort, Harry isn't distracted," Hermione said, trying to convince herself more than Ron. To her surprise, Ron did not flinch at the name as he had only last week. She was beginning to realize that Harry wasn't the only one who had changed. She was hoping that Ron's newfound maturity was for the better.

As Hermione and Ron parted ways for their separate common rooms, Hermione met up with Blaise who, unfortunately, was accompanied by Parvati.

"Missed you at lunch," Hermione said, uncertain of what Blaise's company meant.

"Yeah, I had told Parvati I'd have lunch with her," he said as Parvati smirked maliciously.

"Right. So, did you hear about what Dumbledore said? About clo--," Hermione said but Parvati cut her off.

"Yeah, we heard all right. Draco told us. It's just too bad, isn't it? But, little-miss-perfect shouldn't get to get everything she wants anyway," Parvati said.

"What are you on about," Hermione said, afraid that she would not like the answer.

"What, did you think that he'd leave his master for you," she said as she cackled in a way that chilled Hemione's blood.

"W--what," Hermione asked, directing this at Blaise.

Blaise looked down at the floor as he said "That's why I wanted to talk to you, Hermione. I'm fighting for Voldemort."

Leaving the bushy-haired girl in complete and total shock, the couple walked away.

A/N: I'm incredibly sorry for the amount of time that it took me to get this up to you. I've been swamped with everything from schoolwork to sickness to lack of a beta and I'm very happy to be up and writing again. And I'm very sorry for the lack of smut in this chapter, it is coming so hold your dragons, ladies!

Speaking of beta's, if you are interested, I need one for this story and for Inter-House Cooperation. You can email me at and I can get back to you. All help is appreciated!

As for this chapter, you can probably tell that it's a little less emotional and a lot more plot-heavy. And that's because...drumroll, please... this story is actually going to have plot! Don't worry, though. I promise I won't let it overshadow the Hermione/Draco/Blaiseness :)

And you can bet that the next chapter will be up and ready much sooner than this one. And as always, feedback is welcome if not necessary for the completion of this story. I love all my reviewers and each and every one is appreciated beyond any recognition I could ever give you. Thanks for the support and keep it coming!